


Sister Dearest

by Milksapphire



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Alternate Universe - Xena: Warrior Princess, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Betrayal, Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Loss of Trust, Love Triangles, Secrets, Sibling Rivalry, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:02:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23607253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milksapphire/pseuds/Milksapphire
Summary: "You were always better at everything."Xena’s dark past comes back to haunt her when war crimes are being committed in her name. A secret she’s been harboring for years begins to resurface and she fears what Gabrielle might say if the truth comes to light.
Relationships: Ares/Xena, Gabrielle/Xena
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. The One and Only

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of my abandoned story "Angel's Breath". You don't need any knowledge of it to read this resurrection. I thought it needed some much needed love.

Her hands slid from his chiseled abdominal muscles to his pectorals. She lowered her torso, breasts pressing on his body. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin and a mischievous grin lingered on her lips.

His flesh, so tender, soft yet impenetrable. She dug her nails into his skin, leaned in close, lips gliding along his neck. The subtle gasps of pleasure escaped his lips as her lips traveled up to his lobe. With a quick bite he hissed as if he were harmed.

She pulled away, teasing him for but a moment. His chest rose and fell heavily as he gaped up at her toned abdomen and breasts glistening in the candlelight. A hand rose to cup her breast and she smacked his curious hand away.

Long raven hair draped over her breasts, leaving a bit to his imagination. As she sat atop of him, legs curled, she knew the longer she made him wait the more impatient he became. Still, the way she gradually pulled her long wild hair up, running her fingers through the sweaty strands, was enough to keep him aroused and interested.

_She knows this. She is deliberately torturing me._

He wrapped a hand around the small of her back and dug his thumb into the crevice of her hip. That enticing smile of yours is enough to stop an army, he thought. Proceeding to pull her close to finally get his fill, she placed a finger against his lips and winked.

A dagger hidden in the thick of her locks was revealed. She raised the blade over her head and yelled loudly, thrusting her arms downward.

* * *

Xena jolted awake, gasping for air. A hand came to rest over her throbbing chest. She felt the sweat dripping down her back and cheeks and dug her fingers into her hair. It took a moment for her to realize it was a dream or more like a nightmare.

She knew she'd been distracted as of late but she didn't know how her mind could wander to such dark places sometimes. At one point in time she thought she'd gotten rid of Ares but he appeared in her dreams once again.

This was the third time this week.

He entered her mind without permission. She grumbled at the thought. She could almost feel his touch in her dreams. Ares certainly had his way of grabbing her attention and perverting his way into her mind was new. Xena chastised herself for dreaming such heinous things but there was a burning that lingered in her core. That much was real.

_That bastard._

She peered over at the sleeping bard beside her and faintly grinned. She couldn't tell Gabrielle about her dreams, she just couldn't. She went over every scenario in her head of all the reactions she expected from Gabrielle. Mild disgust was the first that came to mind. Confusion, anger and perhaps jealousy were to come second in stages.

Gabrielle had several meetings with the war god and all were confrontational. They both had something in common and that was _ultimately_ Xena. The warrior knew this and there was always a bit of tension whenever Ares was brought up. It was a sore topic for both, although for entirely different reasons.

She never asked Gabrielle how she felt knowing that she once was a sole supporter of Ares' quests, be it on the battlefield or in the bed. Somehow, Xena didn't want to know the bard's inner thoughts whenever it came to Ares. She imagined that was a box she never wanted to open.

A _bard_. Xena had a difficult time calling her that lately. Gabrielle completely changed her tune over the years and since abandoned her writing and storytelling. Xena felt immense guilt for allowing Gabrielle to stray from her path more than once.

This journey was going to be different. Gabrielle was on a new path of peace and Xena had to respect that.

Gabrielle yawned, smacking her lips together and rolled over onto her back. She awoke to a pair of blue eyes ogling her from up above. With a light chuckle, she ran a hand over her face, adjusting to the morning sun.

She sleepily asked, "Do you _always_ stare at me like that while I sleep?"

"Not always."

Gabrielle guffawed. "Well, please don't. It's a little…" she saw Xena's eyes enlarge, "strange."

"Just making sure you're alive, Gabrielle." She gave that side smirk that the blonde knew so well; a hint of sarcasm, playfulness and coyness all wrapped into one.

Xena watched Gabrielle shake out the blanket lined with grass bits and possibly bugs by the look on her face. She sneered and Gabrielle caught the snicker and gave a swift slap to her arm. Instead of responding with a light punch to the arm, Xena kept staring at her, thoughts of Ares overcrowding her mind.

The lump in her throat refused to dissipate the longer she stared at the bard. She kept wondering if she should keep those dreams to herself or tell Gabrielle everything. Alright, maybe not every single detail. She wanted spare Gabrielle the gritty and disgusting bits of their bodies pressing against one another.

Xena shut her eyes, trying to push those dreams aside but once again the burning within her stomach returned. She distinctively wrapped a hand over her abdomen. She refused to give in and allow him to win this battle.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she growled.

Gabrielle cinched her eyebrows and folded the blanket laden in her arms. She kept hearing the warrior whisper under her breath and reached out to touch her arm which caused Xena to flinch. She snapped her hand away and titled her head, bangs covering her eyes.

"Xena, are you alright?"

"Y-yes," she took a moment to respond in a calm manner. "I –I'm just not…feeling very good this morning."

Gabrielle snorted. "Maybe it's the fish we ate last night. You know, I think there's something wrong with the fish in this area. I've never seen a fish with three eyes before."

Xena nodded and turned away from the bard. "Yeah," she scoffs, " _that_ must be it."

The quivering sensation surged through her body like a scourge that she couldn't control. Shutting her eyes tightly she tried to ignore the will of her body. _Mind over matter_ , she told herself over and over. She bit her lower lip at the thought of his hands roaming across her body.

She slapped her cheek and shook her head out of the daze. Turning around she smiled at Gabrielle who was organizing the items in their saddlebags.

_You're so oblivious it's almost pitiful._

"I'm going to the river," she announced.

The blonde picked some grass bits out of her bodice. "I'll come with you!"

"No!" she responded in a sharp tone. "I…need to bathe alone."

Gabrielle sneakily grinned. "Oh, I get it. You're in one of _those_ moods."

_What mood is she talking about?_ Xena stared at her traveling companion with a bit of an odd clueless look.

"I'll be here when you get back." She sat back down on the grass and began slipping on her boots, one by one. "I was thinking that we could eat when we get to Athens. I know a really great spot. You know the one we always go to. They have great gizzards!" she salivated, thinking of sinking her teeth into the fried food.

"What do you think?" she lifted her head and saw she was alone. "Xena?" she looked around and heard a splash not too far from their camp. She rumbled, "She always sneaks off when I'm talking to her," she mutters under her breath.

Pulling the laces through the eyes on her leather boots, she peered up at Argo. "She's being weird, right?" she asks and the horse snubbed her nose. "Well, fine!" she barked and then paused, grimacing. "I'm talking to a _horse_." She eyed Argo once more. "No offense."

* * *

They walked for nearly an hour towards Athens but Xena felt like only a few minutes had passed. Gabrielle was particularly chatting today which normally Xena didn't mind and chimed in every so often to let the bard know she was listening. This was not one of those days.

She could hardly keep her thoughts straight with Ares perversely making his way into the deep crevices of her mind. It was a battle for her to push him away for all these years. Gabrielle's presence always brought her back to reality but lately she was being reeled in by the war god. It was true that he never truly left her mind. There was a _special_ place just for him and she knew that he'd never truly disappear from her life.

_He's obsessed with me, but why now, Ares?_ She placed a hand over her burning abdomen and winced. _What do you want from me?_

"You could get a shield!" Gabrielle cheered. "Or maybe since I've changed my clothes, you could update your armor. What do you think?"

Xena hummed and averted her gaze to the bard. "What?"

"You weren't listening to a thing I said." She sighs. "What's going on with you? You've been acting weird since we left India. It's my hair, isn't it? You hate it, don't you?" she ran her fingers through her chopped locks.

The warrior chortled and wrapped an arm around the fidgety bard. "I would love you even if you had no hair at all."

"Then what is it?" Gabrielle couldn't fathom why her brunette friend was so _off_ lately. "If it's not my hair or my clothes…" she halted her stride. "Is this about the path of peace I've taken on? We talked about this, Xena. It's the right thing for me. I wish you would just –"

"It's not that, Gabrielle," she interrupted. "It's not you. It's me."

She grew accustom to Xena's cryptic language over the years but sometimes it really irritated her. How could someone be so vague? It was a constant guessing game with Xena and at times she could be incredibly hard to read especially when her mind entered dark places of no return. This wasn't one of those times, Gabrielle gathered.

"You can always tell me what's bothering you, Xena. I'm here for you. I know I haven't been very…receptive lately but I'm always here if you need me."

They stepped over the border into Athens and Xena stopped a few paces ahead of Gabrielle. The center of core once a burning pit of fire turned sour and churned at the sight in front of her. The overwhelming stench of death lingered beneath her nose. Her eyes watered at the fresh burning flesh scent swarming the air.

Gabrielle caught up and was about to go on a rant since she was being ignored. She grabbed her companion's arm and then her eyes followed in Xena's direction and gasped. That sight was enough to make anyone ill and right about now Gabrielle felt like vomiting.

"By the gods…"

They walked through the silent roads of Athens, seeing corpses of civilians scattered around the area. Handprints were stained on the walls with the Athenians blood. Merchant carts and stalls were burnt to a crisp but by the look of the wood, the fires were recent. Xena took a mental note of every detail in the slaughter of innocents.

The view only worsened when they walked through the square. Up ahead, Xena titled her head upward to several crucifixes lined along the road. So many bodies were hung on the crosses. It was more than she could count.

Gabrielle put a hand over her mouth and nose, trying to block out the smell. She didn't know what was worse; the smell of burning flesh or the mutilated and dismembered bodies.

"Who would do this?" she asks.

Xena frowned, eyes upon the crucified innocents. "This was a planned massacre."

"But why?" the bard clung to the warrior, holding onto her arm tightly. "Could it be Caesar?"

That name caused a twitch of Xena's lip. "He wouldn't do this. He only saves crucifixes for those he's close to," she says sourly and continued her stride.

"Surely the rest of the city isn't like this," Gabrielle hoped. Nearly gagging at the stench she shut her eyes as she walked behind the warrior.

Gabrielle's fears came true when they continued to search the city and it was desecrated everywhere. There wasn't a single sign of life. She tried to shy away from the children lying on the ground, drenched in their own blood. Some of them held toys in their hands. Their little lives were ripped away from them before they could even see life for what it truly was.

She kept her eye on Xena and once again she couldn't get a good read on her. She was angry, Gabrielle realized. Meanwhile, the bard was horrified at the massive massacre. She hadn't seen anything like this in her life even with all that she'd been through with Xena. This was something not even the worst of warlords would do.

Xena rummaged through a pile of wood debris and found a boy no older than fifteen summers she guessed. She pressed her fingers against his neck to check his pulse. There was a pulse but it was faint. He was alive and how he managed to be, Xena didn't know.

"Gabrielle! Come here!" she whistled, waving her arm in the air.

The blonde ran over, stomping on top of house wreckage. She knelt down and gaped at how young the boy was. His cheeks still had the little bit of baby fat that all young teenagers had.

"He's alive. Help me get him out from underneath this rubble." Xena grunted, lifting a large wooden board off the boy's leg and hissed at the hot touch. This slaughter was entirely too fresh _. If only I didn't spend so much time in the river._

* * *

He cowered as he was pushed into the large tent. The two brutes behind him whacked the back of his knees and he dropped to the floor, palms slamming on the floor. He shakily lifted his head, blood trickling down his forehead.

He gazed at a raven haired woman with cerulean blue eyes sitting in a chair that was taken from one of the village's temples. Her leg was propped over an armrest, drumming her fingers on her knee impatiently. She twirled a long straight strand of hair around her finger and shook her head at the poor elderly man.

"I…I have given you all that we have," he professed.

She smirked and nudged her head at one of her men waiting off to the side. A large chest was thrown in front of the old man and he flinched. The lid was propped open, exposing all of the coin, amulets and sets of expensive jewelry.

She drew her blade and the man began praying under his breath. "Now's not the time to pray, old man. You got your chance."

Snickering lowly, she scooped a ruby necklace with the tip of her sword from the chest and dangled it in front of the man's face.

"This looks like fine Egyptian craftsmanship," she admired the piece of jewelry. "When I asked for all your assets I didn't think you'd hold out on me," she said with a smile and clutched the ruby pendant in her hand.

"P-please," he stuttered out of nerves, "You can have it –everything! Just please don't kill any more of my people."

She rose from the throne and grimaced. Walking over to the old man, she lifted his chin with the tip of her sword. "Pathetic," she scoffed. "Take him outside and decapitate him," she ordered her men. She spun around once he started to whimper.

"No! Please!" he begged. The soldiers hoisted him off the floor. "I thought you changed! Xena!"

Her eyes enlarged and she twirled the sword with her wrist then turned around swiftly. With a loud cry she plunged the man in the gut and twisted the blade.

"Don't you _ever_ …say that name," she hissed and kicked his lifeless body to the floor. "Get him out of here before he stains my rugs."

* * *

There that boy lay on the ground, almost dead. Gabrielle sprinkled some water on his warm forehead, wishing he'd wake up already. She never liked to see death but it was far worse to see someone suffering.

"He doesn't have any broken limbs," Xena inspected his body thoroughly. "He might have internal bleeding. I'm not sure we'll be able to save him."

Gabrielle released a wary sigh and took a seat on the backs of her heels. "He probably had a family."

Xena washed her hands in the bucket of water she fetched from the well earlier. A tightening of her chest prevented her from speaking aloud. She knew that the bard was overly sensitive in times of battle and it rendered her emotional for days, weeks, months and even years on end. It was an admirable trait to have –to feel guilt for those you did no wrong to –but it was also a major flaw at the right moment.

"Are you sure you can't save him?" the jade-eyed blonde stared at the warrior. Tears swelled in her eyes.

Xena smiled warmly and gripped the bard's arm for reassurance. "You can't save 'em all, Gabrielle." in that moment they stared into one another's eyes before Xena broke the stare. "I'd like to know who was behind this. They must've had an army of hundreds to do this kind of damage."

"And what are you going to do _then_?" Gabrielle chided bitterly. "Are you going to stop an army of hundreds? Are you, Xena?"

She furrowed her brows and wiped her nose. "I've done it before." She felt a hint of malice directed towards her. "Why are you suddenly so angry? I'm trying to come up with a solution."

"A solution," Gabrielle mocked with a snort. "Killing is your solution, Xena. That isn't always the way."

"I never said I was going to _kill_ anyone. This isn't the time to have this conversation. You're grieving over a boy you've never met before. I'm focused on the bigger picture!"

"The _bigger_ _picture?_!"

The boy stirred awake from the bickering. Pained by the aching within him he tried to sit up but Xena gently pushed him back down on the blanket. Once his vision came back to him he looked up at her face and screamed.

Gabrielle flinched and rolled back on her rear at the ear piercing scream. Xena tried to calm him by offering some water and he whacked her hand. At this point Xena scooted away from the frightened boy. He sat up, momentarily blocking out his agonizing pain, and scooted on his rear, fingers digging in the soil.

"Stay away from me!" his voice cracked.

Xena put up her hands to show she was unarmed. "I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you."

"You –you murdered my sister in front of my eyes!" he yelled.

Both women shared a confused stare and Xena tried to approach the boy. He flinched, fearing he'd be attacked again.

"Listen, I don't know what happened to you but I didn't murder your sister."

He breathed heavily and wagged his head several times. "I _saw_ you do it! You made…you made me watch."

"Xena, what is he talking about?" asked Gabrielle suspiciously.

The boy shed a few tears and hid his face. "Just kill me. Get it over with. You've already taken everything from me…" he sobbed profusely.

Xena fluttered her eyes and looked over to the bard who was equally as miffed as she was. The boy was adamant that she was his sister's murderer but she knew the truth. She was used to being blamed for her crimes everywhere she went but this was new.

She extended her hand to aid the boy and then felt the burning sensation in her abdomen return. She dropped to all fours and then placed a palm over her stomach. The heat radiated through her leather corset and she moaned loudly.

Gabrielle rushed over and scraped her cheek with a gentle touch. "Xena? What's happening? Are you alright?"

Her eyes glazed over and then rolled in the back of her head. She slowly collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud and Gabrielle cupped her cheeks. She tried everything to wake Xena but slapping her cheeks, shaking her body and calling out her name did nothing to rouse her.

"Xena!"


	2. Blue Eyed One

"Wake up. Please?" Gabrielle pinched the warrior's cheeks. "Gods, what is wrong with you?" she inspected Xena's body, hands roaming along the leather armor.

The boy gawked at the raven haired woman on the ground. She was unconscious and clear for the taking. The blonde was too preoccupied and in such distress she wouldn't even notice or try to stop him. He staggered along the ground and grabbed a large rock, slowly standing.

A shadow cast over Gabrielle and she spun around to the boy holding a boulder above his head, ready to strike her and Xena.

"Hey!" with a hard shove to his chest he fell backward. "What are you thinking?" appalled of his ill thought action. "She was trying to help you and you want to kill her?" she shook her head at the boy.

Tears streamed down his cheeks and the rock fell out of his palm. "She murdered my sister!" he proclaimed what he saw was the truth and nothing but that.

_Here we go with that again_. She knelt down on a knee and asked, "What's your name?"

"Pelas…" his eyes darted to Xena's unconscious body and tried to grab the rock again.

Gabrielle snatched his wrist and twisted it, causing him to squeal like a child. "Listen, _Pelas_ ," she growled, "I don't know who killed your sister but it wasn't Xena. I was with her all day yesterday and this morning. You've got the wrong person."

He hung his head, weeping quietly and Gabrielle softened at his cries. She smiled and brushed strands of hair away from his forehead.

"I'm sorry about your sister," she said genuinely. "And I'm sorry for whoever did this to your home, family and…"

She looked into his eyes and then blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. He inhaled with a sharp spurt and exhaled slowly. The lids over his eyes hooded and his head lolled onto his shoulder. Gabrielle frowned and lifted his chin gently to see lifeless eyes staring back at her.

"Pelas?" she croaked.

She set her hands on his shoulders and lowered him to the ground and swiped his bangs away from his hooded eyes. Tears settled in and she whipped around, her focus was deterred for but a moment and she returned to Xena's side.

"Wake up, dammit!" she slammed her fist on the warrior's breastplate angrily. Not even a stir. "Argo!" she whistled and the horse trotted over, stomping on shards of wood.

She grabbed one of the wineskins and snapped the cork off. _She's going to hate me for this_. With a hard squeeze she squirted a large helping of water onto Xena's face. It didn't take long for the blue eyes to flutter and Xena spewed water from her mouth and groaned in slight discomfort.

"Thank gods," Gabrielle said in relief. "What was that about? You fainted out of nowhere." She checked Xena's forehead with the back of her hand.

"It…hurts," alleged Xena.

Gabrielle's eyes roamed the armor. "Where? Where does it hurt?" she pressed her hand on several body parts, starting from the shoulders, breastplate, and then gently her hand caressed the abdomen. "Here?" she confirms.

Xena nodded and contorted her face at the slight soreness. "Stop," she grabbed the bard's wandering hand. "Stop…"

"Xena, I'm worried about you. This is very unlike you. If you were sick or injured you should've told me."

"I'm _not_ …sick," the warrior hissed and sat up with the blonde's shoulder for support. Her head turned to the young boy. "What happened to him?"

Gabrielle turned a cheek. "He…"

She knew by the sound of her voice that the boy had passed and Gabrielle was there to see it. She firmly gripped her hand, forcing Gabrielle to look in her eyes. "He was going to die eventually, Gabrielle. I told you, you can't save them all."

She stood and winced at the dull ache in her abdomen. She hadn't felt like this in a long time and she was sure that she hadn't been whacked in the gut lately unless she blacked out which was highly unlikely because she would've remembered _that_. Her mind drifted to Ares and although he'd been haunting her dreams for days she couldn't understand the connection between the two.

She hobbled over to the boy's lifeless body and sighed.

Gabrielle stood and her fingers traced along the leathers. "His name was Pelas."

She'd seen many children his age lain in a field of blood and it never got any easier. She wished that Gabrielle hadn't told her the boy's name because that made it personal. She bent over, grunting in pain, and grabbed Pelas by the legs and dragged him across the dirt road.

"What are you doing?"

Xena huffed and her cheeks puffed red, "I'm…I'm going to bury him."

The struggle of pulling the boy's body struck her as odd and also infuriating. She dropped to her knees, heaving to catch her breath. Suddenly the sharp pain in her abdomen returned and she pressed her palm firmly on the sore spot.

"I think we should get you to see someone," Gabrielle insisted. "A healer."

She rushed over to Xena and wrapped an arm around her.

"No," Xena protested. "I'm going to do this. He… _deserves_ a proper burial," she ignored and pushed through the pain and grabbed Pelas' legs.

* * *

Huddled in a field, small children that belonged to the Amazons picked berries to collect for tonight's festival. Ephiny stayed with the children to make sure they wouldn't run off or get into trouble. Last time she was put in charge of the centaur children she mistakenly allowed the older children to go off on their own and lost three boys for half a day.

Not today. She wasn't going to repeat the same mistake again. Ephiny smiled at the little girls and boys, chatting together as they picked berries. One blonde little girl walked through the tall berry stalks, wandering off away from the herd.

"Amara!" the Amazon shouted. "Don't go too far! I want to be able to see you."

The girl giggled. "I won't go far, Ephiny." She walked through the stalks that were almost half a foot taller than she.

Last week she discovered that the best and juiciest berries were hidden in the center of the field. Amara spun around and waved her hand in the air to Ephiny to show that she was in plain sight. Smiling, having the satisfaction of going off on her own, she began picking the berries and ate a few which left her basket half filled compared to the other children's.

A gentle breeze came through and Amara spat out some of her long blonde hair that got into her mouth. She felt a rumble beneath her sandaled feet and lifted her head. She put a hand over her eyes and saw a woman with long dark hair mounted on a horse decorated in bright red tassels on its tail and mane.

She walked through the stalks, approaching the woman and smiled. "Xena!" she shouted and spun around. "Xena is here!"

Ephiny frowned and squinted her eyes against the bright sun. "Xena?" she spotted the horsewoman that the Amazonian child spoke of.

The longer she stared the more suspicious she became. The woman certainly did _look_ like Xena but she definitely was _not_ Xena. She shared a striking resemblance to the warrior princess but the tribal looking horse was a dead giveaway that she was not Xena. There was also no sign of Gabrielle. _Definitely_ not Xena. She also wore a long black cloak with gold embroidered designs on the breast and a black fur hat to match the fur collar on her cloak.

Ephiny began to gather the children quickly. "It's time to go back to the camp," she calmly said not to alarm the children.

The children retreated from the field, snacking on their pickings and Ephiny panicked when she saw Amara trailing through the stalks slowly.

"Amara! Hurry up!" she yells frantically. She eyed the horsewoman trotting down the hill and then behind her appeared an army of men. Ephiny's heart sank. "Amara!"

She ran through the field, the thorns of the bushes scraping and cutting her bare legs, to get to the child. She scooped up Amara into her arms. Darting through the berry field she looked back and saw the woman sitting atop of her horse with a sneer on her lips.

* * *

"Attacking the Amazons? A brilliant idea," Ares trotted forward on his black stallion.

She smirked at the war god and overlooked the Amazon camp down the hill. She waved her hand to her men standing by and nudged her head. The army of soldiers rode furiously down the hill, horse hooves stomping all over the berry field and the basket the little child left behind.

A rush of adrenaline surged through the god's body as he heard the Amazons yelling and screaming from afar. They were probably gathering supplies and man…oh, _women_ power, he thought, to combat the invaders. Amazons were strong and fierce warriors, he knew that, but there was no way they could save their nation from an army this size.

"One tribe, two tribes, three tribes," she wiggled her three fingers in front of Ares' face. "How _many_ tribes did you say the Amazons had?" she inquires with a twitch her lips.

He gaped at her bright blue eyes and that smile was enough to make his entire body numb. Subtly, he ran his hand along his chest and cleared his throat. He mustn't gaze into her enchanting eyes for it would be a grave mistake for him later. He hated to be bested anywhere, whether it be the field or in the sheets.

"There are many," he says coolly and heard her snicker. "Don't get in over your head, Xayide. This is the weakest tribe of them all."

She whipped her head in his direction. "Are you saying that I'm not capable of conquering _all_ the Amazon tribes?"

Ares' mouth quirked into a half smile. "I never _said_ that. I'm saying…this will be an easy feat for you."

"Of course it will be," Xayide says confidently. "Once I'm finished wiping out the Amazons I will make my way to Rome. I'd like to pay Caesar a _visit_."

"Rome," he cocked his head from side to side. "Ambitious."

* * *

Reclined on a tree, Xena stripped her armor and now lay wearing her black undergarments. The breastplate was far too constricting but the corset inevitably made the pain worsen. Her body riddled with sweat and muscle aches caused her to be almost immobile but not entirely.

At least she was able to provide that poor boy a proper burial. That was her goal for today but what really irked her was the horrid sight of crucified bodies, slaughtered women and children, dismembered men that looked like they attempted to fight back and then there were those who were helpless like Pelas.

Gabrielle returned with some more fire wood and knelt down to teeter with the fire she made earlier. Poking the fire with a long stick she kept her eye on Xena. Her worries hadn't gone unnoticed but as soon as they left Athens, Xena's condition worsened and there wasn't an explanation for it.

"I still think you should see a healer," she repeated for the tenth time.

Xena narrowed her eyes with a mouthful of water.

She got the hint and kept tending to the fire then sat back, holding her knees close to her chest. She emits a small smile, staring at the embers igniting, causing small sparks of fires within the cluster of wood.

"Pelas," she began softly, catching Xena's wary gaze. "He was…adamant that _you_ killed his sister. I –I know you didn't," she fumbled, her words tripping over one another. "Maybe he was just blaming you for someone else's crimes. I mean, you, you…"

"When in doubt, blame Xena," the warrior took another swig of water. "Seems like the reasonable thing to do."

"You know what I meant," the bard alleged. "Some people still see you as the person you used to be. I don't understand it because I wasn't around at that time in your life but people love to blame the 'bad guy'. I know that was a long time ago but people hold grudges forever."

Xena hummed and massaged her sore stomach. "I feel like I've been beaten by twenty men."

"What do you think could be the cause? It's obviously not the fish from that river," she jests.

"If I knew that then I'd certainly tell you, Gabrielle," she snapped.

The bard lowered her gaze and sighed heavily. To occupy her nerves and worries she poked the fire with a stick.

Xena raised her eyebrows and set the wineskin next to her thigh. "Gabrielle…" her voice soft and warm, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap at you. I'm just frustrated."

"It's understandable," she ruffled her short locks. "Maybe it'll pass in the morning."

"Maybe…"

Gabrielle crawled across the grass and lay down on the blanket. She grabbed the warrior's hand to help her make her way over to lie down. Once they were both settled, Gabrielle snuggled up close and Xena kept her eyes to the sky, staring at the stars beginning to form as the sun descended.

* * *

Heat.

Fire.

Burning.

His hot breath trailed along her collar bone as he slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders gingerly. Opening her eyes, she stared in the dark pools inches from her face. Leaning in close she wrapped her fingers around the nape of his neck, bringing him close.

Their bare bodies met and a smile crept on her lips. He returned the smile and soft yet gentle kisses on her cheek caused her body to shiver within. Rearing her head back, his lips slowly trailed down to her chest then to her breast.

A gentle but firm press to the small of her back caused her to arch her body and she brought her knees close, squeezing his strong frame with her thighs. A playful tease of his tongue lingered on her lower abdomen.

She grinned and bit her bottom lip then slowly brought her body to sit straight and crossed her ankles behind his back, forcing their bodies to become one. Her nails dug into his hair and he cupped her breast, swirling his thumb around her nipple.

" _Xena_ …" he called her name.

He grabbed a handful of her thick hair and their mouths inched closer and closer.

"Why do you refuse me?" he whispered.

* * *

Xena woke to a bright morning and pounding chest. She ran her fingers along her sweaty chest and neck then looked down at Gabrielle, sleeping soundly. The heat deep inside her abdomen returned and she clutched the black undergarment gown then got to her feet unsteadily.

She ran to the nearby tree and heaved violently, vomiting into the grass. She arched her back and gagged at the sourness inside her mouth. Her hands on her knees as she stared at the grass, saliva dripping slowly out of her mouth, she snarled.

" _Ares_ ," his name rolled off her tongue like poison.

Gabrielle woke up to the sound of retching and rolled over to a cold empty spot beside her. Panicked, she rose from the bedroll and found Xena leaning over next a large apple tree.

"Xena?" she kicked the blanket off and walked over hesitantly towards the tree. She tapered her eyes and scrunched her nose at the warrior vomiting in the grass. "Gods…"

She quickly ran back to their camp to grab some water to offer the ill stricken warrior. She rubbed Xena's back but stood a good foot away, covering her mouth, trying not to vomit herself.

"Thank you…" Xena pushed the wineskin into the bard's chest and wiped her mouth.

"Are you…okay?"

She straightened herself out and smoothed down her dress and eyed Gabrielle. A small grin appeared and she laid a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I know how squeamish you can be," she still managed to joke despite her state.

She turned to grab her armor and began dressing herself. Gabrielle held the wineskin in her hand and gawked at her companion's quick change of attitude. She was second guessing herself right about now. _Did she not just upchuck her entire stomach in the grass or am I crazy_?

"So, that's it?"

Xena buckled her breastplate from behind and looked over her shoulder.

"We're not going to talk about what just happened? Clearly you're very ill, Xena." She threw the wineskin on the ground and folded her arms. "The next city we get to, you're seeing a healer."

"I'm fine, really. It's just…" her eyes dart from the ground then to Gabrielle's menacing glare. "It's just a mild _irritation_ ," she played it off.

She sat down and slipped on her boots. "I'm more concerned about the massacre we saw back in Athens," she says indifferently.

Gabrielle scoffed. "You're incredible, Xena."

"Aren't you concerned about it?"

"I'm more concerned for your health which you seem to be neglecting."

"Alright," Xena relented. "I'll go see a healer." She noted the satisfied yet annoyed blonde glaring at her from above. "Not like it's going to help anyway," she muttered.

"Did you say something?"

Xena smiled forcibly. "No, not at all."

_Ares, you bastard._

* * *

Heavy boots sauntered through the decimated Amazon encampment. With a careful and calculated step, Xayide put one foot in front of the other meticulously, keeping track of every step she took. She halted in the center of the camp and clicked her heels together.

Her blue eyes searched the area for any survivors but her mind had surveyed the camp before she arrived to see the damage. All of the huts were burnt down early in the morning after her men completely and successfully evacuated the camp.

Below a pile of hay and straw, Ephiny hid in a trench, watching the mysterious woman. She dug herself deeper in the trench and lifted her eyes as high as possible to see the woman's face. With a crease of her eyebrows she studied the woman's chiseled cheekbones and slightly tanned skin.

She really did look like Xena except for the minor differences in appearance. The clothes being one but her nose, slightly longer and narrower, lips plumper, long straight hair that reached her hips, her eyebrows had a slight thickness to them compared to Xena's tapered brows. But much of the woman's appearance was similar to Xena's, especially her height.

A slow turn of her boot in the dirt caused Ephiny to steer backwards. The boots approached the pile of rubble, kicking the dirt in the air. Ephiny's heart raced and she froze, hoping her cover wasn't to be blown. It was her idea to come back to the camp even though her sisters advised against it.

"There are no survivors here and the others have fled the camp," a soldier reported.

Xayide turned, hands behind her back, and smiled at her soldier. "Very good. They would be foolish to continue fighting. It's almost as if they want their tribe to become extinct," a light chuckle escaped from her mouth.

Ephiny frowned, listening in on the conversation. _Say your name, damn you. Tell me who you are_.

"Siphon what you can from the queen's treasury and then gather the men." She ordered.

Ephiny watched the boots trail away and took this opportunity to scurry out of the trench. She crawled out and hid behind a tree, watching the soldiers dressed in animal furs dump chests taken from the queen's hut. She ran toward the woods to meet up with her sisters.

_Snap_. _Crackle_.

Xayide paused mid-stride and whipped her head around towards the forest. Her right hand man drew his weapon and she held up her hand. A devious smile formed on her lips and she sauntered towards the woods and looked down at the freshly broken branch.

"A spy," she whispers. "Not to worry. You won't get far." She narrowed her eyes at the thick brush ahead.

A wave of nausea hit her and a hand immediately came to rest over her uneasy stomach. Uttering inaudible whispers she heard her men call for her assistance. Xayide raised her eyes, glaring at the forest and slowly retreated.

* * *

The next available town wasn't too far a walk but Xena regretted agreeing to see a healer. She didn't like being prodded by a stranger. It was one of the few times when she couldn't be in control of her own body. Luckily, this village a few hours from Athens was not destroyed but the citizens appeared a bit dismayed.

Gabrielle's pace quickened and asked several people where they could find a healer. She asked five people now and they didn't seem to want to help her. She always thought Athenians were a bit snobbish but they at least could show some courtesy to travelers.

Xena felt the tense glares she received as she strolled through the streets. This was a regular thing that happened to her whenever she happened upon unfamiliar places but this was a different kind of glare. She once received the same harsh stares from people who knew her for what she used to be –who she used to be.

"I'm getting agitated. _Nobody_ knows of a healer here? I doubt that!" Gabrielle rebuked.

That same queasiness returned in the pit of her stomach and Xena tried to hide her distress. "I don't think this was a good idea. We should keep walking. Maybe we should ask about the massacre back in Athens main."

"No, we're finding you a healer," she was determined. Gabrielle eyed her companion and touched her arm. "The color in your face is completely gone. By gods, Xena, what's wrong with you?" she muttered.

On the edge of the village Gabrielle was finally pointed into the right direction inside a tavern. Xena sat down at an empty table and a few men stared for awhile then left. She arched a brow at the men who just arrived and quickly left as soon as she sat down.

Gabrielle walked over to the innkeeper and drummed her fingers on the bar. "Excuse me," she said louder than usual and with a bitter, snarky tone.

"Yes?" a young redheaded man strolled up to meet her.

"I really need a healer to look at my friend." She pointed to Xena. "She's not feeling well. I've asked everywhere but it seems there's not a healer here or I'm being blatantly ignored," she laughs awkwardly.

The innkeeper eyed Xena and backed away from the bar. "I'm sorry. I can't help you."

" _What_!" she slammed her fist down. "Why not? What is wrong with the people in this place? I just need a healer, a physician, anyone skilled in medicine. Please? Why don't you want to help people in need? I thought that's what people were supposed to do."

He grimaced. "She's your _friend_?"

She nodded slowly.

"You shouldn't befriend murderers."

"Murderer?" she scoffed. "Xena? No, she doesn't murder people."

"Ask the people back in Athens that. Everyone knows what _she_ did to them." He walked back to clean a few plates in the back of the tavern.

Gabrielle titled her head and made her way to sit at the table where Xena sat.

"I'm guessing you didn't find a healer," the warrior assumed. She saw the disgruntlement on Gabrielle's face. "What's the matter?"

The jade eyes met Xena's blue eyes opposite the table. "Xena…they think _you_ murdered those people in Athens." She hated to say that but it was probably why nobody wanted to help them. "Everyone believes it was you."


	3. Instincts

Each village they made their way through they were both accosted with the same accusations made against Xena. Quickly, Gabrielle found out that wherever they went they were going to be hunted down and gawked at no matter how hard she tried to convince the villagers otherwise.

With this being a close call, they evaded a huge mob of farmers who tried to attack them with scythes and pitchforks. This village had also been ravaged by this mysterious warlord. The farmers were lucky that Xena had no intention of harming them and her odd illness that stuck with her for days put her at a disadvantage to fight.

Secluded in a large field, Gabrielle scoped out the area to make sure that they weren't followed or watched by anyone. She had her suspicions that at least someone had followed them and decided not to take any chances. Late into the night she walked around their campsite, refusing to rest.

Luckily, she was able to find some herbs along the way and made Xena some tea. The herbal tea seemed to work but only for the remainder of the afternoon. Gabrielle was beginning to worry that Xena was being targeted by another entity, an entity that was godly or perhaps someone from the spiritual world. That had to be it, she deduced.

Xena sat on the ground and glanced over at the blonde standing at the edge of the camp. Hours passed and she hardly moved from her lookout spot, completely convinced that they were followed.

"Are you going to stay up all night?" she called out.

The bard turned around briefly and smiled. "We were run out of the last village by angry farmers. Next time, we won't be so lucky if we're met with a group of soldiers or thieves."

Xena snuffed a laugh. "Gabrielle, I have been searching the area too. _Nobody_ is here. You can sit down with me. Please?" she pleaded.

Gabrielle let out a heavy sigh and joined her warrior on the cold ground. She picked at the bread packed in their saddlebag and found that her appetite hadn't returned. She couldn't even think about eating until she found out why Xena was ill.

"At least we know Caesar isn't behind these attacks," she said to lighten the mood. "Who do you think it could be? Someone is posing as you, Xena."

"I don't know but whoever it is…" Xena wrapped an arm over her queasy stomach, "is _very_ good. We know the person behind the attacks is a woman. So, there's that."

Somehow, that didn't ease Gabrielle's concerns. "You don't think…it could be Callisto, could it?"

Xena wagged her head. "She and I look _nothing_ alike and according to everyone we talked to, this person looks like me. Also, Callisto is dead. I killed her."

"You don't know that. Someone could've brought her back like…" she trailed off, thinking of her daughter.

"Gabrielle," she put a hand on her bard's knee. "She's _gone_ ," she reassured her. "Besides, this isn't Callisto's style anyway. Whoever this is has no morals. She kills everyone in her path, whether it is a woman or child. She doesn't care who she harms."

Xena rubbed her chin pensively, going over all the enemies she's had in the present and past. Nothing came to mind and then her stomach began to rebel against her again. She winced and leaned forward at the stabbing pain in her lower abdomen.

"I guess the tea didn't do the trick." Gabrielle crawled over and comforted the warrior with a warm embrace. "I'd love to find a healer for you but every village we've stumbled upon, we've nearly been mauled."

"What a bad…time to be incapacitated," Xena croaked.

"This is no time for jokes, Xena." She sighed and grabbed the animal skin and drenched the warrior's sweaty face with water. "We could go to the Amazons. I know they'll have medicine there and we won't be attacked."

Xena swatted the blonde's hand. "That is completely out of our way! It's obvious the attacks continue north. I want to find out who is behind this!"

Gabrielle arched her eyebrow. "And do _what_ , Xena? Vomit all over them?"

"Don't get smart with me."

"We're going to the Amazons. It'll only set us back half a day. We'll leave first thing in the morning!" she eagerly said and paddled the warrior's head.

Xena grumbled and lay down on the ground with a loud thud then rolled over onto her side. A soft exhale escaped her lips and she curled her knees. She found mild relief lying on her side but the nausea still lingered. Her gaze was set on the pitch-black field and feared sleep wouldn't come tonight. She was almost afraid to close her eyes, fearing the nightmares would return.

The rustling and shifting on the bedroll alarmed her and she peered over her shoulder. She snickered at Gabrielle trying to get comfortable underneath the blanket. Always had trouble getting in the right position, haven't you?"

"Good night," muttered Gabrielle. She pulled the blanket close to her chin. "Don't throw up on me."

Xena turned over with a soft smile. "I'll try not to."

* * *

Just a little after dawn she awoke in a sweat and sprung up from the bed. She whipped out a dagger hidden beneath the pillow and pointed it out into the darkness of the tent. Breathing in and out deeply, she surveyed the tent and once she thought it safe, she lowered the dagger.

She could've sworn that she heard or felt someone enter her tent. The paranoia of being watched and hunted slowly crept up on her over the last few days. She liked to think that the paranoia never left her but she managed to subside it to fulfill her goals.

She rolled out of bed and peered out the tent. The sun had yet to make its mark to start the new day yet her men were already preparing their weapons and camps. She retreated back into her large tent and snatched her cloak and boots nestled in a chair by the entrance.

After dressing she put on the final touch. She gently placed the rabbit fur hat on her head and ran her fingers through her dark hair and grabbed her sword on her way out. She stormed through the field and all the nearby soldiers bowed their heads as she passed by them.

With tapered eyes she pushed one of the men out of her way and halted in front of a group of four Amazons bound by their ankles and wrists crouched in a large cage. She knelt down and smiled at the captives.

"Comfortable?"

The Amazons let out muffled screams from their gagged mouths. She raised an eyebrow and put a hand to her ear.

"What was that? Did you say something?" she teased.

She stood and jabbed her sword in the cage, taunting them by poking their boots. She watched as the Amazons tried to scatter in the cage and avoid the sharp blade coming towards them.

"Having fun with your new toys, Xayide?" Ares' voice lingered behind her.

She spun around and frowned. "They are my bait, not my toys."

The Amazons creased their eyebrows and looked around to see who Xayide was speaking to. The soldiers guarding the cage also looked a bit puzzled at their military leader speaking to nobody but herself. She continued to carry on the conversation as if unaware that others could hear.

"The question is: what do you plan to do with them?" the war god asked.

Xayide tapped the top of the cage with her blade. "You will see. They're going to be used as a warning for the other Amazon tribes. I have something special planned for you ladies."

"The Amazons won't give up so easily," Ares snickered. "They will come after you, Xayide."

She turned and head back to her tent, proceeding to converse with the war god, invisible to everyone surrounding her campsite. "Oh yeah? With what army? I obliterated their camp. Let them try and attack me! They've been left with nothing!"

He followed her into the tent and leaned on a chair. "Not without my help, of course."

Xayide sent a devious smile his way. "This is _my_ army, Ares. I formed it long before you came to me."

"I came to _you_?" he snorted. "I should remind you that I'm the one who provided weapons and extra bodies," he was quick to put her in her place.

She raised her eyebrows and took off the fur hat and smoothed out her straight locks. She sat on the bed and crossed a leg over her knee, exposing her slender toned thigh. It was too obvious that Ares wasn't even trying to hide his curiosity. His eyes were fixated on her bare legs and she took note of that, just like she took note of every single detail around her at all times.

"Yes, Ares," she placated, "you are a…marvelous _asset_ to have. Whatever would I do without _you_?"

He was all too familiar with that tone and subtle word play to let it slip passed him. He'd heard it before several times and that was when he knew that she was mocking him. He leapt forward and wrapped a hand around her throat.

Xayide narrowed her eyes and smiled softly despite being choked by the war god. She lifted a knee and wrapped it around his thigh, bringing him closer. She eyed the sword strapped to his belt and unsheathed it then placed it underneath his bearded chin.

His grip on her withered and he saw that sparkle in her blue eyes. "You can't kill me with my own sword, Xayide."

"No, but it's nice to know that you feel threatened by a simple sword." She shoved him off her and forced him onto the bed. She climbed on top of him and twirled Ares' sword above him.

"I could throw you," he said.

"But _will_ you?" she leaned in and pressed the blade against his throat and watched his smile widen. "That's right. I didn't think so."

* * *

Almost there, they were _almost_ there. Just over that hill and they'd be in the Amazon encampment. So close yet so far. Gabrielle stood beside a tree while she waited for Xena's stomach settle before continuing to ride onward.

She held out the cloth and Xena snatched it to wipe her mouth. While holding onto Argo's reins, she steered her head back and gripped the warrior's shoulder.

"Are you feeling better now?"

Xena stood up and leaned a palm against the tree. She gave a slow nod. "Yes…" she whispered and wiped her mouth again. "I'm sorry. This is the third time we've had to stop because of _me_."

"Don't apologize, Xena." She handed off Argo's reins. "Do you think you can ride the rest of the way?"

Xena looked ahead and just thinking about her body being jostled around on top of the saddle was enough to make her stomach churn again. She placed a hand over her corset and took a big inhale then walked forward and grabbed Gabrielle's hand to steady her balance. There was no in tartarus that she was going to ride Argo through the thick fields with her imbalanced body right now.

As soon as they reached the top of the hill their eyes focused on the scorched fields that were once filled with flowers and huge wheat stalks. The Amazon camp was once guarded by a circle of trees which had since been burned down, exposing all of the huts.

Gabrielle slapped a hand over her mouth and now it was her turn to feel ill. She could sympathize with Xena only for this moment. She could see some of her sisters walking around inside the camp though there weren't many. There must have been over two dozen pyres laden with corpses.

"Not here too!" the bard screeched. "Look at it! There's nothing left!"

Xena hung her head and grasped the blonde's shoulder. "You should go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

"No! I'm not leaving you behind." Gabrielle wrapped an arm around the warrior's waist. "Whoever did this has no common enemy. She'll take down everyone in her path!"

They hobbled their way into the camp and all eyes turned to them. Some of the children were thrilled to see Gabrielle and ran to embrace her. She put on a smile for the children and held a blonde curly haired girl close to her body. She scanned the area and was able to wave down Ephiny who was overseeing the funeral ceremonies held on the other end of the camp.

Ephiny approached them with sunken eyes that made it clear to the women that she'd been awake for days on end. She studied Xena's pale complexion and was star-struck at how much she looked like the woman who invaded their camp.

Gabrielle dismissed the children and after they scattered, she put a hand on Ephiny's shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she gestured to the dozens of pyres.

This was the first place where she and Xena weren't verbally and physically attacked which meant they were in the clear for any false accusations. She knew at this point that they were dealing with an unknown entity that had no goal but to destroy until there was nothing left in Greece.

"Who did this?" she asked.

Ephiny swallowed and kept her gaze firmly on the warrior. "A…huge army, maybe four hundred men, possibly more," she said and looked into Gabrielle's eyes. "A woman was leading the army."

Xena tapered her eyes. So this was the same person, she thought.

"She looked like…you," the Amazon pointed to Xena. "I thought it was you at first but then I knew it wasn't because of the army. We weren't able to fight her men. Before we knew it our camp was up in flames."

Gabrielle nodded, understanding this unfortunate attack was done by the same woman. She turned to Xena who shared the same concern as her. Her chest tightened at the amount of pyres that were to be burned soon. So many lives lost in just a short amount of time.

"Did you send anyone to follow her? Do you know who she's working with?" asked Gabrielle.

Ephiny sighed. "We had to retreat to the trees otherwise there would none of us left. By the size of her army I don't think she's working for anyone else, Gabrielle."

"I see." She crossed her arms. "We encountered several villages in Athens that also faced the same fate. This was most likely done by the same woman. We think that she's threatening Xena's reputation. We were accosted in every single village we entered!"

Xena tied Argo to a tree and made her way around the camp to observe the damage. She came to a large totem post that was used to hang various masks for the goddess, Artemis. All were burned to a crisp. The attack must've happened days ago due to the amount of charred huts.

The smell of burnt flesh, straw and wood lingered in the air even days later. Xena studied one of the posts that were drenched in dried blood. She took a step closer and covered her nose so not to inhale the smell. It was enough to make her vomit again and she had enough of that lately. At the top of the post were a few strands of red hair.

"What was on top of this post?" she interrupted their conversation.

Ephiny hesitantly answered, "One of our sisters'…heads."

 _Impalement_. This woman impaled several of the Amazons' heads by the way all of the totem poles looked scattered about the encampment. Xena's reaction seemed indifferent but she kept studying the clues left behind.

She took a few steps forward and her boot sunk in the wet soil. She knelt down and scraped her fingers along the soil and sniffed it then turned her cheek at the familiar scent.

"This ground is soaked in oil."

"What can I say? She burned everything in sight, Xena," said Ephiny, a bit annoyed.

Xena grunted and stood. She followed the trail of oil and then spotted a large lump of soil that looked it had been dug up right before this warlord left. Her eyes widened at the Amazons hovered over the pyres. They all held torches ready to light the pyres of their fallen sisters.

"No! Stop!" she yelled.

Her cries were unheard over the loud drums sounding through the encampment. The pyres were lit by the torches and then in a matter of seconds a loud explosion erupted from beneath the soil. Xena fell onto her back and witnessed all of the pyres ignite and then a series of several explosions were visible to the naked eye and blew the Amazons into brush.

Xena stared, wide-eyed, at the burning camp and was frozen in place. She made no attempt to save anyone and felt two hands grip her arms, pulling her upright.

Gabrielle shielded her face from the flying debris. "Get up!" she cried. "Xena, come on!"

* * *

_Twelve Summers Ago_

Safe in her tent, Xena sat on the floor, eating casually while there were several explosions heard from outside. The cries of the soldiers who attempted to rival the invasion were soon impaled. She knew they were impaled by the sound and she heard the sound far too many times for it to bother her. It was a sound she grew accustom to over time.

Borias barged into the tent with an obvious scowl on his face. He kicked over the silver plate which she ate from and grabbed her coat's fur collar.

"She's insane!" he growled.

Xena grinned. "I thought she was doing what _you_ wanted?"

"She's blowing up the entire camp, Xena!" he hissed.

She smacked his hand and gave him a hard shove. Meanwhile, he paced back and forth as if to calm his nerves. She snickered, sipped some water and her eyes followed as he dug a hole with his constant pacing.

"Stop doing that. You're making me sick," she chided.

Borias knelt down and cupped her cheeks. "Your sister will be the death of us all. Where did she get all of those explosives? She's been using our money unwisely."

"I gave them to her," she said and gripped his wrists firmly. "If you don't trust my sister then why…did you put her in charge of the army, huh?" her lips curled into a wily grin.

He never felt such an urge to slap her across the face until this very moment. He chose to retract and keep his distance from her. There was no point in arguing with her as he was constantly put down by not only her, but her little sister as well. At times he knew he wouldn't win an argument between the two of them but it wasn't easy to tolerate Xena's sister's spontaneous behavior.

Xayide stormed into the tent and smiled at her sister and then frowned at Borias. Drenched from the rain she stripped herself of the heavy coat and sat down on the floor. She dried her long wet hair with one of the blankets from her sister's bed.

"Their army should be retreating soon," she said with much enthusiasm. "They're already running out of supplies!"

Borias towered over her. "You're insane, Xayide."

"Nobody asked for your input, _Borias_ ," she snidely said. "Have you been nice to my sister? Wouldn't want to have another little _accident_ with your arm."

* * *

Gabrielle knelt over Xena and slapped her cheeks several times. She grabbed her shoulders and shook her body gently in hopes to wake her. With the backside of her hand, she tapped Xena's cheek and stared intensely from up above.

Suddenly Xena inhaled sharply and awoke to a group of Amazons gawking at her. She sat up on the blanket that was sprawled on the grass far from the camp. Her eyes immediately darted to the encampment and the smoke from the explosions filled the clear skies.

"The explosives…" she muttered.

"Xena, are you alright?" asked Gabrielle. "You fainted. Are you still feeling sick?"

" _Sick_ ," she repeated. "No, no. I'm not sick." She grabbed the bard's shoulder to stand and walked around a tree to see the Amazons putting out the fires.

 _You're too proud to admit it_. Gabrielle waltzed over to Ephiny and casually took her aside from the other eavesdropping Amazons.

"Xena's not been herself lately," she whispered. "She's been very sick for the last few days. It's probably why she fainted."

Ephiny nodded and looked over at Xena helping her sisters put out the fires.

"I wish you would've told me this earlier." The Amazon exhaled. "She tried to stop the explosions from going off. She _knew_ they were planted in the ground and we didn't. How would she know that?"

Gabrielle quirked her mouth to the side. "She's very experienced."

"I'll bet she is," Ephiny presumed with suspicion.


	4. Gods and Sisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be frequent flashbacks to develop this special character. Thanks for reading, guys!

Despite the blows that the camp took no lives were lost. It was unfortunate that none of the Amazons were able to scope out their encampment before the bombs went off. Nobody would've known they were hidden beneath the soil. It was a great trick and it was used several times.

Xena sat in the woods and watched the Amazons clear the debris and help the wounded from afar. After she did what she could to help she sought refuge in seclusion. Her mind wandered and it was the first time she was unfocused in a long time. She could hardly keep her thoughts straight and sitting by herself probably wasn't the best thing for her.

She picked at a wheat stalk and ripped all of the leaves off of the stem to ease her nerves. She thought she buried that part of her life but she knew that her past always came back to haunt her in some vile way that she was unable to control. She never once thought the person causing all of this anguish and destruction could be the one person she used to be so close with.

Her life was anything but normal but she thought after all these years that she'd finally be able to forgive herself for what she had done to those she hurt in the past. The pain still stung like a knife twisting in a fresh wound.

The one person whom she hurt the most crept back into her life unexpectedly and for once she had no plan to counteract. Now everything made sense. She understood why people feared her in those villages she passed through. She was frustrated with herself that she couldn't put the pieces together earlier but now that she could she wanted to smash the puzzle.

Lost in her own little world she didn't even see Gabrielle standing beside her. She tossed the wheat stalk aside and crossed her ankles and gazed at the barren land that once was so rich with trees.

Gabrielle sat down and held out a leather pouch. "Ephiny gathered some leaves for a tea. She said it will help cure your nausea."

Xena thanked her with a silent head nod and nothing more.

The bard looked at the desolate Amazon camp and ached for her sisters. She'd been absent for a long time from her fellow sisters and now they had nothing. They didn't even have huts to sleep in or weapons to protect themselves. Food was scarce but she knew the women could manage. It would take a long time to rebuild and she even thought of staying to offer her help and assistance.

"You're acting very strange, Xena," she spoke freely. "Ever since the explosives went off you shut yourself off from everyone."

"I…have a lot on my mind."

Gabrielle crossed her legs and peered at the warrior. "How did you know the bombs were there?"

Xena tried to play it off by deducing that her skills as a warrior were the key to solving every little thing. She smiled at the blonde and wavered.

"Lucky guess. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. Oil," she raised a palm, "uneven soil," she lifted her other palm, "you do the math."

Gabrielle let out a deep sigh. "I don't want to cause alarm but the Amazons are starting to think you had something to do with the attack."

"What?! How could they think that? I wasn't even here!" she shouted defensively.

"I know, Xena, I know. But they are suspicious because you found the hidden bombs and the woman who attacked looks like you."

"It wasn't me!"

Gabrielle crinkled her eyebrows at how defensive and angry her friend was getting. Normally, she would just brush it off and not let it bother her much like with everything else but this reaction warranted concern.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked cautiously.

It took a moment for Xena to gather her breath and the nausea that hit her like a bag of rocks was no longer bothering her. No, she was sick because of something else –because of someone else.

"I just want to find out who is behind this." Xena dismissed the question and rose from the grass. "We need to continue north like I said. We'll follow this woman's trail."

Gabrielle followed her out the woods. "Xena, wait, hold on a second!" she waved her down and finally they met beside Argo. "What are you going to do when we find this woman? Ephiny said she had an army of hundreds. You can't go up against an entire army on your own."

"Nobody said anything about going up against an army, Gabrielle." She untied Argo's reins from the tree trunk. "I just want to see where her camp is, that's all."

"And then what?"

Xena climbed atop of the horse and looked at the encampment one last time. "I don't know. Gabrielle, maybe it's best that you stay here."

"Why?" She stepped forward and grabbed the reins. "I don't like this type of behavior. You're not acting like yourself."

Again, she diverted the attention off her. "Help your sisters, Gabrielle. They need you. I'll come back as soon as I can." She steered backward and galloped out of the camp.

"But, Xena!" she chased after her and threw the pouch of herbs on the ground.

Ephiny joined her sister. "Xena's leaving, hm?"

Gabrielle's cheeks radiated and she dug her nails into her clenched fists. She didn't take lightly to being ignored and kept in the dark concerning Xena's plans. She thought they were over that little problem in their relationship by now.

"Did she tell you where she was heading?" asked Ephiny.

"She said she's going to follow the woman's trail," she released her anger and took in a couple of calming breaths.

"And you trust her?"

Gabrielle turned with perplexity in her eyes. "I trust her. Why wouldn't I?"

"If you trust her then why did she leave without you?" Ephiny raised her eyebrows and walked back to help her sisters clear the rubble.

Her shoulders drooped and she was unnerved by Ephiny's question or rather, accusation. Xena's bizarre behavior was being picked up on by everyone here. It was even worse that some of her sisters thought that Xena was behind the attack which was just absurd.

"Xena, what is going on with you?"

* * *

There were two reasons she wanted to leave Gabrielle behind. One; she didn't want her to possibly be harmed and two; if the person who she thought was behind all of these attacks she wanted to face her head on. Well, she supposed there were three reasons. She didn't want Gabrielle to find out the secret the locked away for years.

She did her best to clean up her mistakes and this was one of them she thought she had taken care of. People used to fear her for ravaging villages and taking over small portions of land. That soon turned into conquering masses of land but she wasn't without help. She made a new life for herself before Gabrielle came into the picture and there were some things that needed to be a secret.

No longer could she hide from everyone. Her name was being tainted all across Greece. She didn't know where else her name was being plastered. She was being associated with these invasions by proxy and she had no idea until it was too late. There were too many lives lost already and this wasn't going to be a simple fix.

She rode down a path hidden from the public eye for over half a day. She didn't stop to make camp and rode Argo until both were exhausted and defeated early in the morning. She walked with Argo in hand and looked up at the blazing sun.

She lost track of time quickly after she turned and twisted in several directions. Her eyes glanced around her unfamiliar surroundings and came to stand underneath a tree for much needed shade. The nausea subsided for now but she was sure it was going to make its way back soon.

Her body weak and her mind scattered she knelt down and scooped a handful of soil. The bits and pieces of dirt trickled onto the ground and she grimaced. She tried to follow the tracks but after awhile she lost her way. How could an army of hundreds cover their tracks in a matter of days? There was no sign of rain to wash away the horse hooves and boot imprints.

"Very good, Xayide," she muttered. "You're very good."

Hunger plagued her body and she stumbled as she took a step forward. She leaned a hand on a tree and saw spots. Too much sun, not enough water and no rest had caused her to lose focus. She tried to shake it off but collapsed onto the ground not able to withstand the exhaustion that overcame her. She leaned against the tree and gazed up at the leaves gently swaying in the hot breeze.

* * *

_Twelve Winters Ago_

The plans were made to come in contact with the Amazons and they were only days away from approaching the encampment. She couldn't understand why Borias was so intent on allying with the Amazons. He accused her of ruining their plans back in Qin and perhaps she did but that was water under the bridge as far as she was concerned.

Winter came quicker than expected and they all needed supplies and extra food for the soldiers. She led an army before she even met Borias and she thought she was adequate enough to handle a few more hundred men beneath her but he kept digging and nagging her. Everything she did was wrong and he made sure to tell her that especially as of late.

It was clear that they were beginning to develop different goals as the months passed. The constant bickering didn't go unnoticed by the men and they even began gossiping about their unwillingness to compromise and lead the army properly.

She didn't need another revolt against her. She couldn't handle the humiliation or the stress of everyone breathing down her neck. The only thing she and Borias agreed on was that he was to be put in charge of food supply and he had since left a few days ago to go hunting with a group of the finest bowmen they had.

After hours of strategic mapping out their coordinates she requested every single person to leave her be. Huddled in her yurt she stood in the corner breathing in and exhaling slowly. Despite the winter season she was drenched in sweat. Icy weather and sweat weren't the most ideal combinations to have.

She lifted her coined headdress and wiped the sweat from her forehead and took in a deep breath. She heard someone enter her yurt and growled.

"I wanted to be left alone!" she hissed.

Xayide raised an eyebrow at her elder sister's hostility. She dropped a bag of skins filled with water onto the ground and looked at the mess scattered about the dwelling.

"It's just me, Xena."

The elder sister turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. "When I said I wanted to be left alone that included _you_ too, Xayide."

"You don't get to order me around!" she spat and Xena scoffed. "I can come and go as I please."

Xena nodded and picked at her fingernail. She walked across the yurt and put a hand over her stomach and winced. She was almost to her bed. Only a couple more steps and she could sit down. Another step she took would be her last and she dropped to her knees.

Xayide ran to her and grabbed her arm to assist.

"Get off me!" she growled and shoved her little sister away. She hauled her body the rest of the way to the bed and heaved intensely. Widening her eyes she saw black spots and looked into the mirroring eyes in front of her.

The younger sister took the headdress off Xena's head and swiped the wet bangs from her forehead. She reached for the bag and took out an animal skin and poured some water into her palms. Hesitantly she smeared her cold wet palms on Xena's flushed cheeks.

Xayide smiled warmly. She took the fur cloak off her sister's body and drenched her sister's arms with the cool water. For once she wasn't berated and shoved away.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "The men are questioning your capability to lead them."

Xena shoved her sister's shoulder. "Let them say whatever they want. I'm fine." She insisted. "Don't touch me."

"You're in a more foul mood than usual, Xena. Did someone talk back to you? Let me know who it is and I will make sure they're severely punished."

Xena shook her head. "Nobody said anything to me." She leaned back on her elbows and shifted awkwardly to stretch her legs outward.

"It was Borias, wasn't it?" Xayide shifted her weight on her heels. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing!" Xena growled. "Why are you still in here? Get out of my yurt, Xayide."

Xayide turned her gaze to the floor and brushed her long straight hair behind her ears. She glanced upward at the discomfort on her sister's face and then began examining the remainder of her body. A small swell beneath her sister's tunic caught her eye.

She pulled up the loose tunic tucked into Xena's pants exposing the small but very evident bump. Her eyes widened and she received a slap to the arm.

"What are you doing?!" Xena snapped and pulled her blouse down over her body.

Xayide punched her sibling's shoulder. "What is _that_?!" she asked in disbelief. "Is that what I think it is?" she hissed. "Are you stupid? Did you expect to keep commanding the army with that…that _baby_ inside you? How could you be so selfish?"

"You're one to talk."

"You never think of anyone else but _yourself_ , Xena."

The two glared into their mirrored blue eyes and then Xayide took another blow to her shoulder. She snarled and the two began hitting each other and pulling at one another's hair. Xayide grabbed her sister's arm and forcefully pinned her to the bed and then took another blow to her lip.

Borias walked into the yurt and saw the two sisters in the middle of a slap fight. The two continued to pull one another's hair and whack each other in the face and shoulders.

"Hey!" he threw down his sword. "Stop!"

He ran and wrapped his arms around Xayide and forcibly dragged her away. He waited until they were all in the clear and let go of the wild younger sister. Xayide smoothed out her disheveled hair and fixed her loose blouse whilst glaring at her sister.

Xena sat up on the bed and wiped her bloody nose.

Borias glared at Xayide and folded his arms. "What's going on here? Can you two try not to kill each other for one day?"

Xayide smugly smiled at her elder sister then turned to Borias and clocked him in the jaw with a jutting fist. He stumbled back a couple of steps and before he recovered he was kicked down by a powerful boot to his chest.

Xena's mouth gaped. "Xayide!"

He let out a stilted cough and put up his hand to surrender to the angry woman standing over him. "What is your problem?" he rumbled and rubbed his sore jaw.

" _You_!" she pointed to her elder sister. "You got my sister pregnant!"

Borias slowly averted his gaze to Xena.

Xayide snatched her headdress off the floor and glared at her sister. "I'm going to be the one to lead the army to the Amazons. I'll do all the negotiating with Borias."

"You can't just _decide_ that," Xena barked.

"Really, Xena?" she snuffed a laugh. "You are in no condition to lead an army. You obviously have more important things to worry about now, right _mommy_?" she snickered and stormed out of the yurt.

* * *

Riled from the conversation she had with Xena or lack thereof, she resorted to using her staff out of anger. Repeatedly she hit the tree with the staff and it'd been a long time since she used the staff as a weapon instead of a walking aid. She didn't want to admit it but it felt good.

It felt _so_ good.

Over and over she whacked the wooden weapon on the trunk. Pieces of tree bark fell to the ground and with a loud grunt she hit the staff against the tree one again and broke the staff in half. She enlarged her eyes and held two ends of the staff in either of her hands.

"What have I done?" she muttered.

 _Clap, clap, clap._ "Bravo, Gabrielle!" Ares' cheered her on. "How's that peacemaker life working out for you?"

She turned to the war god and tapped the broken staff pieces together. "What do you want? If you want Xena, she's not here."

"Oh I _know_ ," he leaned up against a tree. "She left you all alone, didn't she? She likes to do that sometimes, huh? I thought you two worked out some sort of understanding by now. You stick to her like a leech," he chuckled.

"Ares, I really don't have time to listen to your sarcastic spouts."

"Been taking lessons from our favorite warrior princess?" he teased.

She turned her back to him and chastised herself for breaking her one and only staff. A gift that was given to her was now lost forever. Ares crept up behind and grasped her shoulders. She inhaled sharply and felt the need to stab him in the gut with the jagged edged staff.

"Doesn't it bother you just a _little_ bit, Gabrielle?" he leaned downward towards her ear. "Doesn't it bother you that she left you alone without an explanation?"

"N –no." she closed her eyes shut to cut herself off from him.

His hands slid down her arms. "Not even a smidge?" he whispered. "Xena's a mysterious woman. She's full of secrets."

Gabrielle shrugged his slimy hands off her body. "Xena's allowed to keep secrets. Friends aren't entitled to tell each other every little detail about their personal lives."

"Even if the secret had something to do with the attack on the Amazons?" he hinted.

She swiftly turned on her heel and nearly bumped into his chest. "Do you have anything to do with this, Ares? I swear if you were behind this then I hope Xena finds a way to make your life miserable."

"That's quite an accusation made against me!" he playfully slapped a hand on his chest. "When I show up you always point the finger at me but who you really should be pointing the finger at is…Xena." He said with a snap of his finger and wink of an eye.

She swung at the air once he trickled his way out of reality. She let out a loud growl and threw the broken staff at the tree. Of course he would try his little tricks to get her riled up and she was disappointed in herself because his mind games and riddles did work. She was fuming mad.

But there was something he did say that struck her. Xena left without giving an explanation and it wasn't the first time she did that but this time was different. Xena never gave a reasonable reason for her to stay back with the Amazons. She just up and left and took her odd behavior with her.


	5. Synchronous

The morning and night blended together but after searching for days she finally had a lead. The hoof prints weren't visible to the naked eye but there were other clues that Xayide left. Simple markings on trees to count the soldiers' steps were a good indication that they were heading north just as Xena suspected.

She gave her a little sister a silent round of applause for her efforts. She was lead blindly for two days straight until she found a little clue that could possibly lead her directly to the camp she was looking for. She never thought that her sister paid attention to any of her strategies long ago but she was wrong. Xayide was unpredictable and spontaneous when it came time to attack enemies.

That was one of the reasons why they fought a lot ever since they were children. Xena remembered the endless arguments that their mother had to put a stop to when they were girls. She figured they argued so much because of their closeness in age. Being less than a year apart from one another forced them to be joined at the hip for better or for worse.

In this case, it was for worse.

During her journey she was able to stop somewhere and fish at a river. Hunger was never a good feeling but she was glad that her appetite returned in the last couple of days. The nausea that came and went earlier in the week was agonizing. She'd never felt sicker and she still didn't understand why it kept reoccurring.

At first she blamed the nausea on the dreams she had of Ares –with Ares –but that was nearly impossible, or was it? Ares would stop at nothing to get her attention even if he dragged her body through Tartarus.

She knew that her sister was heading north but this was a little too far north than she predicted. After riding for an entire day she fell into a place that looked vaguely familiar to her. The flat plains, the mountains in the west, the sea northeast and river back south.

Xena tied Argo to a tree and walked the rest of the way over the hilly terrain and crouched down. She hid behind tall stalks of worn field grass and tapered her eyes. There, below on the flat plains she observed hundreds upon hundreds of decorated crimson tents and men swarming the area like a bunch of ants.

"You always liked to stand out," she muttered.

She crawled across the grass to get a clearer view and finally she saw a tent three times the size of the average soldier's. Ephiny wasn't kidding when she said an army of hundreds. There must have been at least five hundred soldiers down there, maybe more.

She played the waiting game and had her eyes set on the grand tent. She didn't have to wait too long when she finally saw her little sister emerge. Disappointedly, she smacked her thigh at the sight of Xayide. There was a sliver of hope inside her that it wasn't her little sister behind these attacks.

And here she is, sporting almost the same attire she wore over a decade ago except the clothing looked far more expensive than that of a nomadic warlord. The black coat was a month's salary for a farmer at least, possibly more. The black fur hat was a nice touch.

Xena smirked and her eyes trailed her sister walk across the field, instructing her men to move items to various spots in the camp. She ducked down when Xayide turned around. It appeared she was searching the area.

"Paranoid, aren't you?" she mumbled with a little laugh.

Off in the distance a group of riders entered the camp. One of the men dismounted his horse and immediately set his eyes on Xayide. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. Both smiled at each other and spoke quickly then walked through the camp side by side.

Xena crinkled her eyebrows and crawled through the grass to get a good look at the male standing awfully close to her sister. She parted the stalks and eyes widened at the man with long braided dark hair. There was a tattoo on the side of his face that she clearly remembered. It was an unforgettable marking.

Her blood boiled at the sight of him and then her stomach churned. She winced and retreated slowly as soon as her the sourness in her mouth that had remained dormant for days was now back and with a vengeance.

She ran to the tree where she left Argo at and retched up a thin stream of vomit on the grass. The back of her throat burned from enduring this torture for a week now. She leaned herself against the tree almost kecking from disgust. She wasn't sure if it was the smell of fish that she upchucked or the man groping her sister, that made her want to retch for a second time.

* * *

_Twelve Winters Ago_

The sickly stench made her want to vomit but the sounds of her sister fetching up every morsel in her body was even worse. It was vomit-inducing and she regretted ever offering her assistance. She didn't know why she bothered to be nice since she was always the brunt of her sister's wrath.

She stood beside her sister leaning over a pan and finally turned her cheek. Holding out a clean rag, she put a hand over her queasy stomach and felt her cheeks sour.

"Are you finished yet?"

Xena snatched the rag from her sister's hand and wiped her mouth. She yanked the headdress off and threw it onto the floor and kicked the pan with her boot and released a fatigued exhale.

The younger sister finally was able to turn around without feeling ill and sat down next to Xena. She brought her knees close to her chest and offered a smile which Xena returned wearily.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Xayide asked. "I should've known something was up with you when you stopped drinking wine a couple of months ago."

Xena reared her head back and stared up at the sun shining through the yurt's ceiling.

"You won't tell anyone about this," she said quietly. "Nobody can know."

Xayide ran her tongue across her teeth and gazed at her sister's pale cheeks. "Having a child doesn't make you a weak person, Xena."

"It's not _my_ child," she said in mild disgust. "It's just a baby and nothing more."

Disturbed by her sister's revulsion she grabbed Xena by the arm and pulled her close. "But it is _your_ baby!" she scolded. "And it's not going anywhere. Every single day you're going to be reminded of it."

Xena wiped the corners of her mouth and crossed her arms, avoiding all eye contact with her little sister. She shifted on the floor and inched further away. She didn't want to be treated differently just because she was having a child. She already felt like she was being left out of everything and her sister was taking control.

"From now on I'm taking on all of your duties which include commanding the army," said Xayide.

"I _never_ said you could do that."

She was never going to get through that thick skull of hers. Xayide adjusted her headdress and stood in front of her sulking elder sister. Their blue eyes met and in that moment Xayide felt more superior to her sister in so many ways.

"I want to help." Xayide's lip twitched into a faint grin. "You're my sister. You're always taking care of me so now this time I get to take care of you," she bit her bottom lip and playfully pinched Xena's arm.

Xena wore a lopsided smile. "You still have to do everything I say."

"Yes, of course," Xayide accepted.

"And stay away from Yul. I don't like him."

"You can't tell me who I shouldn't talk to, Xena. I don't even like Borias!"

Xena rolled her eyes. "I mean it, Xayide. Stay _away_ from him."

* * *

She wiped the corners of her mouth with a swipe of her forefinger and thumb then collected herself. It took a moment to catch her breath and then she sunk down in the grass once more to keep spying on her sister. She waddled her way through the stalks until she was close enough to hear bits and pieces of the conversation.

She just wasn't close enough to hear anything but she did hear a couple of foul words that Xayide screeched loudly. She parted the stalks and saw the distress written all over her little sister's face. The arguing continued and they raised their voices at one another.

Waiting quietly was so hard to do at this very moment. In a second, Xayide was shoved back by her male counterpart and Xena reached for the sword at her hip. Her hand slipped off the hilt when she was reminded that she couldn't do anything, at least not yet.

The sight of her sister's cheek being caressed only seconds after she was shoved made Xena's stomach toss and turn. When the two retreated back to the camp Xena crept backwards to her hiding spot with Argo.

"I told you to stay away from him, Xayide," she whispered. "You never liked to listen."

She untied Argo's reins and looked down the hill at her sister walking across the campsite. She rounded the tree and saw Xayide standing over a cage filled with Amazons. She gripped the bark and tore a piece off.

* * *

Gabrielle sat on a tree stump and attempted to fix the broken staff with a cloth tied around the center. It was pointless to want to fix the weapon. It was broken and it wasn't due to a fight. She broke it in half out of anger. She couldn't help but think it was a symbolism for something else. She sensed a dark cloud looming over her ever since Xena left.

Because of the Amazons sudden hostility towards Xena she chose to stay quiet after Ares paid her a special visit. Whenever he showed up it usually wasn't for good reason. What he said to her about Xena's involvement with the Amazons raised suspicion but she knew Xena had nothing to do with the attacks. She was with her the entire time.

It was just another one of Ares' dirty tricks. It had to be because she had no other explanation for his sudden appearance. Then there was Xena's odd behavior. That was another thing to tackle but for now she was more worried about the warrior's safety. Four days had gone by and she was left alone in a deserted camp.

The sound of horse hooves galloping caused heads to turn. Gabrielle smiled in relief upon seeing Xena and Argo returning safely and unharmed. She dropped the staff on the ground and ran across the camp.

"I was so worried about you! What took you so long?" she asked frantically.

Xena dropped to the ground and glanced at the scarcity of the Amazon encampment. She sauntered forward, ignoring Gabrielle's twenty question game.

"Where is everyone?"

Gabrielle put a hand on her hip. "Ephiny thought it was best to take the Amazons to the centaur camp."

"The centaurs?" Xena's stomach dropped. "The centaurs in the _north_?"

"Yes? The children need food and a place to sleep instead of on the ground like they have been for days."

Xena dug her nails into her scalp and swiftly turned around. "When did they leave? _When_?!"

The blonde crinkled her eyebrows together. "Yesterday," she answered softly. "Are you alright?"

"We have to go." She marched over to Argo and climbed aboard. She held out her hand. "Gabrielle, let's go."

"Stop!" the bard said firmly. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on! You've been acting so strange that I hardly know you! You were gone for days and you didn't even tell me what happened and now you're telling me we need to go to the centaurs. What happened to following the woman's trail?"

Xena groaned lowly. "I _did_ follow her trail!" she said louder than she liked. "I found out where her camp is and Ephiny wasn't lying about the size of the army. There were hundreds of tents."

Gabrielle nodded. "Did you see her? The woman?"

She hesitated and clenched her jaw. "No. No, I didn't."

"Now that you know where the camp is we can tell Ephiny and the others. Maybe we could get help from the other Amazon tribes."

Xena held out her hand for the bard to grab. "We need to get to the centaurs and warn them. We need to tell them to leave the camp immediately."

Gabrielle swung her legs over the saddle and wrapped her arms around Xena's waist. The seriousness in her friend's voice was concerning only because she heard Xena talk like that a few times since she's known her. Whenever Xena wanted to retreat from a fight it meant everyone was doomed.

"If you didn't see her then how do you know the camp belonged to her?"

Xena bit her cheek and trotted through the woods and out of the encampment. She remembered the look on her sister's face when she argued with Yul. She also could tell that her sister was in a lot of pain inside but was too proud to show it. There were many things she wished she could go back and change with her sister but she never imagined Xayide would do something like this.

"It was hers," she said with certainty. "There were Amazon prisoners in the camp."

"What? Why don't we go save them? How many were there?"

Xena yanked on the reins to halt Argo and looked over her shoulder. "Gabrielle, we can't save a few Amazons and leave everyone else to be slaughtered! Sometimes there are sacrifices we have to make."

" _Sacrifices_?" Gabrielle's voice trailed off. "You're _scared_. I've never seen you scared of anything before."

"Let's just get to the centaur camp."

* * *

Xayide rushed into her tent and the first thing to satiate her temper was to knock over everything in her path. She walked to the desk and swiped all the parchment, ink quills, candle holders and cups off onto the floor. Next, she ripped the blankets off her bed and threw them over her shoulder.

Yul walked into her tent and caught a few flying pillows and blankets. He caught a sword in midair before it whacked him in the face. He waited until her temper simmered and he met eyes with her and dropped everything in his arms to the floor.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said and paced in a circle, digging her nails into her hair. She tossed her hat across the tent and kept mumbling under her breath.

"You always have tantrums when things don't go your way, Xayide." He walked over and grabbed her shoulders and turned her body to face his. "The men think you are crazy," he whispered.

"I am not crazy!" she spat.

Ares stood over her shoulder and smiled at Yul who was desperately trying to get to her. He was too close to her, Ares thought. He smoothed his hand over her hair and Xayide looked over her shoulder at the war god's shimmering smile.

Yul frowned and his eyes danced around the tent. "Xayide, I am talking to you."

She whipped her head around and looked into his dark brown eyes. "I heard you the first time. The men can say whatever they want. I want to ride to Rome as planned."

"Why?" Yul scoffed. "What do you have against Caesar? Why do you want to attack him so badly?"

Ares leaned in close to her ear, " _don't listen to him, Xayide. He's just trying to steer you off your path. Who is he tell you what you can and cannot do_?" he gripped her arms.

"Nobody," she whispered.

Yul raised an eyebrow at her odd response. "What?"

Ares fed into her insecurities and ran his fingers through her silky hair. " _You've been told what to do all your life, isn't that right?"_

Xayide creased her eyebrows. "Yes."

" _And who was the one who held you back from succeeding_?" Ares firmly tightened his grip on her shoulders.

"Xena," she answered softly with a forlorn frown.

Yul scoffed and took a step back to examine her somewhat defeated posture. He folded his arms and then lifted her chin with a gentle finger. Finally, she glowered up at him with the most malicious stare he'd ever seen her bear. His mouth gaped and his finger slid off her chin.

"Xena? Your sister?" Yul asked with suspicion. "That bitch almost had me killed! Is that why you want to go to Rome? You want to kill Caesar before she does? You really think you're capable of doing that, Xayide?" he chuckled.

She raised her hand to hit him and then she felt her stomach tightening while he kept babbling on about Xena's escapades and how awful she treated him when he was an enlisted soldier in her army. She swallowed the sour saliva and brushed by him and darted out of the tent.

Yul groaned and slapped a palm on his forehead. He marched out of the tent and caught her retching in the grass with hands on her bent knees. He yanked her back by the shoulder.

"We are _not_ going to Rome," he hissed in her ear. He gave her a soft shove and then walked to his horsemen waiting for him.

Xayide wiped her mouth the backside of her hand and slowly stood upright. Sitting on his horse he looked back at her and then rode across the field with his men in tow.

"I guess its true what they say," Ares appeared behind her.

She turned at his voice with a scowl.

"Xena. You gotta love her to hate her. She's a remarkable woman," he winked which only infuriated her to the point of nearly hitting him. He snatched her raised fist. "She knows where your camp is, Xayide. She's been watching you."

* * *

Arriving to the centaur camp, Gabrielle ran to the entrance and passed by two centaurs guarding the camp. She spotted Ephiny with a huddle of children and waved her hand. A gaggle of Amazons appeared from the huts and frowned her way. Gabrielle was a bit put off by their reactions to her and turned back.

Xena walked with Argo towards the camp and was met with two crossed javelins that blocked her entry. She glared up at the centaurs and then eyed a very puzzled Gabrielle on the other side.

"Let me through," she ordered.

Gabrielle grabbed one of the centaurs' javelins. "What are you doing? Let her pass. She's with me."

"We cannot," one of the centaurs said.

"Why not?"

"The Amazons told us that we aren't to grant passage to Xena," he told them. "You are welcome here Gabrielle, but she is not."

Xena's hand rested on her chakram and glared at the scowling Amazons. "You don't understand. You need to evacuate from this camp immediately. It isn't safe here!"

"And _why_ isn't it safe here, Xena?" Ephiny called out from inside the encampment. "Do you have something to share with us?"

Gabrielle frowned and marched up to her sisters. "Xena didn't do anything. She isn't responsible for the attack on our people, Ephiny."

"Is that what she told you?" the Amazon crossed her arms.

"She was traveling with _me_! You said it yourself that the woman who attacked _looked_ like Xena but it wasn't! How could you think Xena would do that to you?" she asked.

Soon, all of the Amazons gathered around and Gabrielle slowly backed away. The more she backtracked the closer her sisters became. She bumped into one of the male archers and stumbled in her footing and shook her head.

"She found the woman's camp," Gabrielle announced to the camp. "She knows where the attacker is! Right, Xena?" she turned her head to the warrior.

Xena gave an affirmative nod. "If you all don't leave now a lot of lives will be lost!" she yelled to all those who listened. "Believe me! You are all in danger!"

Her words were spoken on deaf ears. She growled and kicked through the javelins and marched into the camp. Suddenly she was surrounded by Amazons, archers and centaurs. She put up her hands to show she wasn't willing to attack anyone.

"Ephiny, I saw the camp. There are hundreds of men. She _will_ come here. You saw what she did to your camp. Gabrielle and I saw the damage she did in the villages and in Athens." She stepped forward with caution. "She will destroy everything. Please, leave."

"Why does she look like _you_?" asked Ephiny.

Xena's cheeks paled and she saw all eyes on her, awaiting her answer. She felt her chest constricting on itself. A hand came to her unsettled stomach and she breathed in deeply to calm her nerves. They were waiting on her to answer and she had one. It was on the tip of her tongue.

"It's Ares," Gabrielle blurted out.

Now, all attention was on her, including Xena's baffled wide eyes. Gabrielle stepped in between Ephiny and Xena to quell any tension in the air.

"He spoke to me back at the camp," she shyly admitted. "I think he has something to do with the attacks."

Ephiny rolled her eyes. "You're just now mentioning this, Gabrielle? When were you going to tell us this important information?"

As everyone spoke at once interrogating her, Xena blocked out the voices and turned around herself and looked at the innocent people in the camp. Ares always wanted to get her attention in the strangest of ways but getting to her sister first was interesting and a bit disgusting.

No, she thought, Xayide wouldn't succumb to Ares' wishes on a whim. Xayide didn't need someone else to do her dirty work for her. She never relied on anyone else but herself to get the job done. Xena had no doubt in her mind that Xayide was the one using Ares and not the other way around. But she didn't understand why her sister would use another to entity to get what she wanted.

While the voices circled about she closed her eyes to clear her headspace. No matter how hard she tried to block out the voices they kept trickling in, calling her name, questioning her and searching for answers.

Her eyes shot open and she pushed through the crowd and stalked off into the woods. All the interrogative questions ceased and Gabrielle gently pushed her way through the sea of people.

"Xena!" she ran to the woods.


End file.
